Before Thursday, only Beau Hossler’s closest friends and family knew who he was, as the rest of us probably would have guessed country singer or Dukes of Hazzard character. But once the 17-year old golf amateur with braces made his rise on the leaderboard at the U.S. Open, he quickly became a household name. It also probably didn’t help that his mom, Amy Balsz, ain’t too hard to look at, amiright fellas?
But this is about a young man’s incredible triumph and not the inspiration to a Fountains of Wayne song, as Hossler withstood the pressures of the incredibly difficult course at the Olympic Club to finish in a tie for 29th at +9. Sure, “tied for 29th” doesn’t sound all that great, but we love a good underdog story, and that’s certainly what he gave us despite a forgettable Sunday round.
We may never hear from Hossler again, as feel-good golf stories come and go, but he sure seems like the kind of kid that has the right work ethic and head on his shoulders to be a leaderboard fixture for years to come. So I thought that in the wake of his introduction to the world, I’d climb around inside that big, ol’ cranium of Hossler’s and see what a 17-year old was thinking about as he competed against the pros.
(Images via Getty)